Two hours east of Portland, along the Columbia Gorge, small Oregon town The Dalles is set against a dramatic natural landscape, flanked by rugged cliffs, rolling orchards and horse ranches. Once an important Native American trading point, the area now thrives on tourism with the Rooster Rock State Park at its heart, drawing visitors as much for the basalt obelisk that rises from the trees, as its well-known nudist beach – an infamous cruising site for queer city-dwellers seeking outdoor adventure, and closted gay men from rural communities.

As the backdrop to narrative short The Dalles, and the journey of 18-year-old Cam – in the early stages of discovering his transness – the town presents a complex environment in which to explore his gender identity. The cinematic debut of writer-director Angalis Field, premiered at Sundance, The Dalles is poised as a queer coming of age neo-western, emerging from an otherwise unremarkable day working at the family cherry stand.

Caught among the anachronistic values of the American West, Cam finds himself compelled to follow a handsome cyclist, who visits the stand seeking directions to the cruising site at Rooster Rock. Seeing an opportunity in this unexpected break from the stand’s familiar faces, The Dalles traces the instantaneous decision that could lead Cam to the community and sexual experience he is searching for – as a means of escape from the state of limbo he finds himself in.